Chapter 56 Hell
Betrothed? The thought of it twisted something within me that I could not name, or did not want to.
How Liv could possibly assume that would be a believable persona was beyond me.
I had spent the past two days attempting to train and prepare for this extraction, yet this was constantly clouding my thoughts.
It did not help that they had released Rafael from his cave and he was everywhere.
If I turned a corner he was there. During training, Liv would force us together.
And if I asked for a moment alone, some peace and quiet, he was looming in the background just silently watching.
He and that gods-damned wolf. Always at my heels.
At least the wolf stayed at camp with Johanna.
“Would you kindly stop chewing your nails?”
Liv whispered. “The sound is quite jarring, and we are trying to remain inconspicuous.”
Something told me she was still upset about me sitting out in the cold all night.
Or perhaps it was the adopted wolf that had set her on edge. Either way she would get over it.
“I will stop chewing my fingernails the moment the Blacksmith stops looming over me like a sad shadow.” I shot him a glare.
“I am quite literally just existing here.”
He threw his hands up. “If you should like for me to leave, tell me and I will gladly do so.”
When I said nothing, a smile tugged at his lips.
He presumed I wanted him here, though it was only out of necessity.
We needed him in order to rescue his brother.
I rolled my eyes even though I knew he could not see it.
We were currently walking slowly through the smallest tunnel in existence, beneath the streets of the Holudrums.
Elsbeth had attempted to sneak us in under the guise of a traveling troupe for the masquerade but that only got us through the gates to the city.
Now we had the issue of actually making it to the brothel without being seen, and the streets were crawling with enforcers.
So, the dark cramped confines of a tunnel I made between the sewage tunnels was our only option. I would have preferred chewing glass.
“You are all acting childish,” Ezra muttered. “We need to be serious, this is life or death.” The moment we stepped foot in the city his hackles were up, and he was clearly unpleasant when anxious.
“Here.” Ezra stopped short, and we all stumbled into him, landing in a heap in the dust. “The brothel is here.” He coughed and groaned as he stood and helped Liv up. He pointed directly above our heads as he looked over his map of the sewer lines in the city.
“Alright, that should put the alleyway behind it…”
I stepped a few paces backward. “Here.” I pointed up.
Ezra nodded in agreement. I used my power to carve an opening through the earth above us, just large enough for us to fit through.
Then I created a ladder of stone for us to climb out.
I waved my hand forward. “After you, Blacksmith.” He stepped forward without hesitation.
“I suppose if anyone is waiting in the alley to take off our heads, they will be making quick work of your woes.”
He gave me a sarcastic smile and climbed the ladder, poking his head out just above the surface.
I knew this brothel well. It was steps away from the alehouse I used to work in.
The alleyway was a private one. Brothel workers and women of the night would use it to get air during business hours, so it was gated off.
I did not expect that there would be anyone waiting, though I would not tell Raf as much.
“One could only hope,” I shot back at him when he bobbed back down to give us the all-clear. We ascended the ladder and dusted ourselves off before rapping on the back door. It swung open quickly and hit the wall with a crack.
“Quickly, inside before you are seen.” Sylvie ushered us in and closed the door behind us.
The halls bustled with people. Women of the night scantily clad in outfits that left nothing to the imagination.
Patrons so plied with drink that they would not remember signing over the deed to their manors in the morning.
And Sylvie, overseeing it all with a smile.
“Oh, Helena, my dear!” She pulled me into an embrace.
She was a large woman, soft and full-figured, with fair skin and bright red hair.
Her generous curves tested the limits of her corset as she bustled through the halls.
She had always been kind to me. “I am so glad to see you are safe. I should like to hear all about your adventures.”
She waved for us to follow her, kicking discarded clothing out of the way with each step.
“We will have to leave that for later, though.”
She frowned. “You are already late, the lords and ladies should be arriving at the Diviners Court now.”
She led us upstairs into a large dressing room.
“Come, I already have your disguises prepared.”
We stepped into the room and closed the door.
There were four dressmakers’ dummies, one for each of us, exactly matching our sizes.
They were dressed in beautiful shimmering gowns and bespoke suits.
Wigs rested atop each of the headless figures, and around their necks were intricate masks that matched the outfits and would cover the majority of our faces. Perfect for concealing our identities.
“How?” I was so stunned I could not finish the question.
“Elsi sent me your measurements.” She smiled.
“And the girls work rather quickly when properly incentivized.”
She gave me a wink. I did not dare ask what she had offered them.
“Now, I will leave you to it. Do not dawdle. The carriage leaves in a quarter-hour.”
She slipped from the room and closed the door.
I looked around. There were two vanities, with enough makeup to cover Verith itself.
A rack of weapons and holsters to conceal them beneath our gowns and suits.
But only one privacy partition. Liv and I exchanged a look, then looked to the men.
“Liv and I will change behind the partition and help each other lace our corsets. You two will dress out here.”
I did not leave room for argument. “And Blacksmith, do not even think of glancing in this direction. You face that wall at all times.”
I pointed to the far wall where a wardrobe stood.
Liv may be comfortable dressing in front of Ezra, but I was not.
And I certainly was not comfortable dressing anywhere near Raf.
We dressed quickly. Liv and I helped each other lace our corsets, and we slipped each other’s dresses on over them.
I glanced at Raf to ensure he was not looking and immediately regretted it.
Heat flooded my cheeks and butterflies rioted in my stomach.
He was shirtless. He still faced the wall and the muscles in his back flexed as he fastened his trousers at his waist.
I quickly averted my eyes and found Liv staring at me. Her eyebrows wiggled suggestively.
“Stop,” I whispered. I tried to force away the thought of him even as my cheeks heated more.
Gods. Liv helped me apply makeup to my eyes and lips.
She rouged my cheeks and insisted it was all necessary despite the fact that we would be wearing masks.
I strapped several small daggers to my thighs and one at my ankle.
More were tucked beneath the waistband of my skirt and anywhere else I could fit them.
When I was done, Raf still faced the wall, his hands folded behind his back.
“You are stunning,” Ezra said to Liv as he pulled her in for a kiss and then twirled her about.
I cleared my throat. “We are finished, Blacksmith. You can turn around now.”
He turned slowly from his spot at the wall.
A chill, that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room, skittered up my spine as his eyes raked over every inch of me.
He looked like a starved man who had been presented with a feast.
“If your jaw hung any lower, you would be tasting the floor,” I deadpanned. A knock at the door told us that the carriage was waiting. “We should be off then.” Raf offered me his arm and I looked at it as though it were diseased, that is until Liv elbowed me in the side.
“It must be convincing,” she scolded. I begrudgingly took his arm and allowed him to lead me out of the brothel and into the cold evening air.
He helped me into the carriage and settled beside me.
Then the carriage lurched into motion, the cobblestones crunching beneath the wheels.
I took a deep breath. This night would either end in success or death.